Lendercide is a mystery suspense thriller by Allen Madding. The author will take you on a quick thrill ride as the characters deal with a variety of situations.
Colleen Smithwick’s job at the bank as a loan processor has gradually drained her down to almost nothing. Her co-workers and superiors have really not helped the situation with their demands for faster work while not doing their own part to contribute to a more streamlined process. So, when bodies start dropping – well, half the staff feels little to no remorse. Who is committing the murders? Who will be next? Will Colleen’s marriage survive the temptation of the handsome young detective? You’re going to have to read to find out how this story pans out for all involved, but brace yourself for an ending that you just won’t ever see coming.
Lendercide is an engaging novel that will keep you page-turning as you follow the various characters in this book. Colleen is the main focus of the story, but not the only focus. The story is told more from a third person point of view, which is okay, but it leaves some things to be desired.
As you read, you’ll understand Colleen’s frustrations with certain of her co-workers. They make demands, but don’t do their part. It would absolutely drive the average individual to plot a heinous act or two. Granted, the keyword is plot – but would you go so far as to actually commit an act of violence against said individual?
Throughout this book, you will question as to whether Colleen has anything to do with the two murders that happen. One will sound...implausible, but the other...well, eyebrows will rise once you discover the cause of death for that particular character.
Watch out for the red herrings that the author is going to conveniently drop here and there throughout the book. Obviously, we won’t disclose as to which ones to watch out for, but as the characters interact you’re going to begin to pick at particular threads. By all means, pick away, but be careful at pulling too much at that particular thread.
What this book could have used more of is more depth, and more detail. Things move quickly, but there are moments where things move too quickly. More detail would have been nice to flesh this story out more and to really help create mental images. It also would have helped make the story more realistic and the characters more life-like. As it is, the storyline takes characters from one extreme to the next. For the average person, the characters won’t come off as realistic as they could.
When the first murder is announced, rather abruptly by the detective in charge, it would have been nice if at least someone feigned surprise. As it was, the detective should have seriously considered all potential suspects since from the tone of the story, few if any showed any surprise or empathy toward the deceased. Regardless of whether the person was a saint or not (emphasis on NOT) the fact that none showed any surprise is very telling.
Some details should have been omitted. One particular example is the naming of Colleen’s shoes. You’re rarely going to see anyone saying “Christian Louboutin.” Those iconic stiletto heels with the famous red soles are simply called – Louboutins. Naming them once with the full name would have been fine, but twice in such closeness in the passage is redundant and unnecessary.
Unfortunately, the realism of the characters doesn’t translate in this book. None of them showcase anything that would make them seem more true to life. Some stories generate those types of characters, however, this book is not one of them. Assertive women are always something great, and when you get closer to the end you’ll gain some enlightenment when it comes to Colleen. However, before that you are probably going to find her overly aggressive in her “flirtations” with the Detective. The only place you get a taste of realism is when the characters are in their respective workplaces.
Detective Gary unfortunately comes off more as a green-horn than a seasoned vet. The reason I say this is because when he’s asked about the case instead of stating, “I can’t comment on an active/ongoing investigation” he proceeds to give information that has yet to be released to the public. Especially to someone who may or may not still be a suspect. You just don’t know, because there is no clarification given concerning who’s been cleared of suspicion and who hasn’t been.
Granted, this book is not a police procedural novel, and Detective Gary is not the primary focus of the story. That being said, it still would have been advantageous to the storyline to have pieces of that particular element included in. It would have added to the drama and suspense of the story as you would be lead to think that certain characters are now “safe” and would be easily dismissed out of mind.
Lendercide has a lot of good elements going for it, but it’s lack of detail and depth cause this book to fall short of it’s full potential. Give this book some fleshing out in the right places, and necessary details and it will absolutely be a novel that readers would flock to and devour.
This book is a quick read and will engage you, but it will also leave you with more questions than answers. I honestly would not mind a sequel to this story though, because the ending will leave you eager to find out what potentially happens next.
This book rates 3.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. The storyline has solid potential, but just doesn’t fully measure up. Details and depth are missing to really make this novel shine, and as such elements are missing, this book falls short. The author absolutely has potential to develop into a great writer, and I look forward to more of their work in the future.
Pros:
- Engaging storyline
- Good mystery/thriller element
- Nice amount of red herrings
- Twisted ending
Cons:
- Not enough detail
- Needed more depth
- Characters unrealistic
- Some details needed to be edited out
Thanks to the author, Allen Madding, for the opportunity to read and review his book.
